The Red Tail Hawk

One of the first songs my former instructor had me work on was a tune called "Red Tail Hawk". I wondered about this mythical creature, only to discover they are a dime a dozen in the Sacramento Valley. Still, as I started birding years back, the Red Tail Hawk seemed elusive, though I'm not sure if it's only because I was so tentative and unsure of myself as I started.

I'm still feeling much like a lousy beginner. This trip has reinforced how much work I have ahead of me if I want to get remotely competent at birdwatching solo. However, the red tail hawks have been plentiful. I see them on tree tops everywhere I drive, in Sacramento and in the North Bay where my mom lives. We took a drive through the Capay Valley and I showed my mom all the hawks that were resting on fence posts on telephone poles and barren trees in the afternoon.

On a drive through Napa, I happened upon a large hawk resting in a tree along Hwy 29. I made a turn onto a frontage road to get a closer look. I was a little disappointed that it was "just another" red tail hawk, but realized that maybe progress had been made, that I stuck with an endeavor long enough so that something so seemingly difficult years ago now came easier. I identified this year long Valley resident with some confidence, finally.

Persistence. Confidence. Who knew?